Research Focus

The research focus of my lab is to understand how the stress axis functions
in natural populations of mammals and birds to maximize fitness. The stress axis
is a vital regulator of adaptation in birds and mammals and a pivotal component of
the neuroendocrine system. The system is a major pathway that integrates environmental
change and through which life history decisions to reproduce, to grow, or to put energy
into storage are implemented.

The functioning of the stress axis affects a wide range of interrelated biological processes,
including the rate of aging, life history and reproduction, the immune system, behavior, and the
rate of neurogenesis.

At the individual level, the stress axis plays a key role in allowing animals to cope with
change and challenge in the face of both environmental certainty and uncertainty. At the species
level, the stress axis plays a central role in evolutionary adaptations to particular ecological
pressures and an understanding of differences among species is essential to understanding life history
adaptations. My research program focuses on these related areas.